Flewn tells the story of an old whale carrying his friends while walking on stilts through a desert -- trying to find the lost ocean.

If you’ve ever played Monument Valley, you might be familiar with the artwork style used throughout that game. I am a big fan of the game and its direction style. I never expected that I would find the same style and quality level from a storybook app — until I found Flewn.

The Storyline

The main character in Flewn is a very old whale. What makes him special is it’s walking on stilts through a desert while carrying his friends on his back. Together, they’re on a journey to find the lost ocean.

Along the way, they meet a frog and a camel. At first, they can’t believe what the old whale is trying to do but once they do, they start telling their friends about it. As a result, the frog and all his friends come to meet the old whale.

The old whale explains to them what his home looks like and how he loves and misses the deep blue ocean. The frog and his friends decide to find a way to help the old whale fulfill his dream. They create a giant balloon and pairs of wings for the old whale, allowing him to carry everyone faster across the desert.

Can they find the lost ocean before the old whale runs out of energy?

Parents Need to Know

The story doesn’t include audio narration, so you’d have to read the occasional text instead. This requires your kids to be able to read on their own. If you have completed your first reading, you might want to try the game mode where you can play as the Frog and go through the story from a different perspective.

Flow doesn’t have any third-party ads, in-app purchases, or links to social networks. It’s currently available only in English. My guess is it won’t be easy to translate the book into other languages as the storyline relies heavily on the text that’s included as part of the animation.

Another character in the story is a frog who leads his friends in an attempt to help the old whale complete his mission.

Things I Like

The illustration and short-movie animation in Flewn are really beautiful. They remind me of the illustration style found in Monument Valley. Combined with the music and an illustration that spans multiple screen, this lets you have an immersive reading experience.

It’s quite rare for a storybook to be accompanied by a game — not to mention a game that offers a second perspective to the storyline. I like how I can play as the Frog. I think he’s the most interesting character to play in the story.

The illustrations span multiple screen. To navigate through the storyline, you'd have to swipe left many times -- sometimes revealing a text that tells the story.

Conclusion

Flewn offers an immersive reading experience for kids ages 7+ who are looking for an imaginative and original story. The story shows how a strong commitment to help others can inspire creativity in problem solving. And as a bonus, you can get a second perspective of the story by playing as the frog in the game mode.